Invitation to FPSO Membership

The Foster Parents Society of Ontario (FPSO) has been on a path of reducing and eliminating the barriers for all foster parents in Ontario to be united and work collaboratively together.

We recognized that all foster parents whether they fostered in the public sector or for a private operator are all the same; with the same challenges concerns questions and frustrations.

We also recognized that the division between the public and private sector was an opportunity for our challenges to fall on deaf ears with the Ministry. We believe uniting all foster parents will increase our collective ability to share our recommendations and discuss our challenges with the policy makers and provincial Child Welfare leadership.

In 2011 FPSO began making infrastructure and bylaw changes to remove the barriers for private operators and private foster parents to become members of FPSO, adding your voice to ours.

What membership in FPSO offers you?

• Information – FPSO distributes a monthly report on the work of the board
• Training – FPSO runs an annual educational conference each year during conference we seek a high calibre training to support foster parents in their role.
• Education – FPSO collects information from the Ministry and Child Welfare leaders, and then disseminates the information back to our members. We believe informed foster parents are better equipped for their role.
• Advocacy (Provincial, Systemic) – FPSO gathers information from our members and based on this information seeks benefit and progress for foster families and the children in their care.
• Advocates and Advocacy training – FPSO launched the advocacy program in 2008. The program trains advocates to offer peer support to fellow foster parents. The training is also a benefit to the advocate as it teaches all aspects of an allegation/investigation and how best to navigate and understand the investigative process.

What you offer to FPSO?

• Your perspective
• Your knowledge
• Your experience

A large portion of FPSO’s work is in response to our members, what is important to them, what they need, what they have recognized is in the Best Interest of the children in their care. FPSO cannot pursue systemic changes without our members informing us of their challenges and concerns. We need your voice added to ours.

Consider joining in membership, PDF forms are available on-line.